Mangroves are unique ecosystems found in coastal intertidal zones, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions.
They are critical for maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity, acting as natural barriers for coastal protection, carbon sequestration, water filtration, and more.
René Benguerel, founder and chief executive of BLUEYOU Group, highlighted the untapped opportunity Asia has to promote sustainable aquaculture by harnessing the power of mangroves.
“Here in Asia, there is a tremendous opportunity to revive degraded intertidal zones that have been subject to mangrove deforestation to bring back the mangroves onto the farms, and the mangroves become part of the functional food web in an aquatic system in the pond,” he said.
Benguerel was part of a fireside chat on restorative aquaculture at this year’s Asia Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit.
Benguerel elaborated that mangroves are nature-based polycultures, relying on the inherent processes of the ecosystem rather than external inputs.
They do not need any feed or chemicals, instead, the mangroves themselves play a crucial role by harnessing sunlight, which they convert into nutrients
This sustainable approach mimics the natural food chain, where the mangroves’ growth supports a variety of marine life, creating a balanced and self-sustaining system that flourishes without disrupting the environment.
“These are, in my view, very promising systems for the future where we can produce food in balance with nature. We can also restore degraded habitats that create not only more resilience for ecosystems, but a huge amount of livelihood income for impoverish farming communities,” said Benguerel.
Seafood: Asia’s favourite protein
Mangroves are home to a host of fauna, including fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates.
Benguerel emphasised that this approach holds huge potential in Asia, where seafood is a major dietary staple.
In Asia, seafood accounts for about 21% of animal protein intake, compared to a world average of about 15%. About 90% of aquaculture production happens in the region.
“This is really the advantage here in Asia, because there is a very strong cultural link to these lower-tropic seafood species like shrimp, crabs, clams, mussels and oysters. These are the perfect proteins. We don’t necessarily need to farm carnivorous fish that require a lot of high energy diets.”
While there are corporate farms in Asia, Benguerel pointed out that the majority of the producers are still community-based, smallholder farmers.
“Asia is the global hub for aquaculture, and still today, most of the aquaculture here in Asia happens, actually with coastal communities… Aquaculture is the most important source of livelihood. It provides, not only income through the harvested seafood, but also as their most important protein choice.”
He concluded: “There is a long-standing tradition here in Asia to farm a huge variety of species in a nature-based, restorative way… It’s really important to recognise that Asia already actually has a tradition for regenerative farming of aquaculture species.”
